Nine plates
by Milleniumenjimon
Summary: (ClairXLydia.) A certain blond and her archnemisis try to clense her childhood home of a evil spirit out for revenge, secrets are revealed as lives are placed on the line.
1. Chapter 1

There was a full moon tonight near the lake house. The building itself was styled to be like a house from Japan with certain modern conveniences, it was built during 1901 when a man from Japan came to Peaceful Pines to snatch up a iron mine. With the money he made he made this house for his family and their family; that's why she was here, her father had inherited this house from his mother.  
  
When she was younger her parents would take her here and dress her up in a kimoto made from fine silk while her father would teach her about their heritage, than they stop coming here. It was something that blurred from her memory, it involved these dishes her mother loved. Something happened and it lead to several nights of horror, the only thing she could remember were the horrid screams and on the last night her parents just grabbing her and rushing out of the house.  
  
And now here she was, on the door step she downed up at the markings by the door; this was where her father would mark how much she grown over the years. The last marking was when she was eight.  
  
"Excuse me," a voice said, catching her attention. Turning around she saw her reluctant help, Lydia Deetz, how was holding her own luggage; Clair was asking for her help for one reason and one reason only, she, Clair, wants her childhood home from whatever ghost that is roaming around the house and the best person that figure on helping is this goth girl that was walking towards the front door. "Am I going to have to carry your bags too, that is if you like half the school to know about our little collaboration on ghost spotting."  
  
"I'll get my own luggage," Clair said, "it's not like I want your creepy, pale hands touching my delectate items."  
  
"Nice to know I'm very welcomed," Lydia said as she entered the two story house and Clair went back to the rental and took out her own luggage out of the trunk than walked into the old house.  
  
Both girls set down their stuff next to the entrance and Lydia walked around the main hallway taking in the atmosphere, Clair was kind of felt a little pride as she watched the goth girl look at the well-built nightstand near the door that lead into the den. Being here brought back much of her happier memories, but there was a strange darkness lingering over her memory.  
  
Within moments Clair return to the real world and waved Lydia to the den area, there Clair was spoke. "Okay, I hate to tell you this, because - no offense - I don't like you in my house, but I got to lay down a few rules."  
  
"Fine," Lydia said as she crossed her arms, "I'm only doing this for the poor ghost that would have to deal with your mouth or you sicking a priest on 'em."  
  
Clair mumble something that was lost on Lydia but she, Lydia, assumed that it was insult. "Okay, what you drop you pick up, if there is anything wrong you please tell me and place a.... Anything on the door if you're in the bathroom or....." There was a awkward silence as Lydia realized what a blushing Clair meant, Lydia blushed herself and looked away.  
  
"If you won't mind, I should take a small walk around to a feel for the place," Lydia said as she went into the hall and went upstairs.  
  
"Well, you better check the first room on the left because I might want to go to bed soon," Clair shouted up.  
  


------

  
  
The swipe of the room was clear, at first she went along with this dumb idea to help this ghost from Clair; but from the moment she stepped into the house something felt off, a dark and suffocating feeling surrounded her. It was weakest in this room so she can assume that it is very safe for Clair, as she left she passed by Clair she noted something off.  
  
_I better keep an eye on her._  
  


------

  
  
Clair wonder into the kitchen, this is the place where she remembers her mother came out screaming and picked her up and her family drove out of there. There wasn't much changed except for a few items like a thin layer of dust and a slight smell.  
  
Walking towards the cabinet she shivered for a moment and raised a brow when she saw a broke plate laying on the floor, this was the first time she ever seen the infamous plate that driven her from this home. Clair shrugged and went to grab her sleeping bag upstairs into her, passing Lydia in doing so.  
  
As she threw down the specially made sleeping bag the seventeen year old she notice something was a little off about the room, but she shrugged it off as she changed into her hand made Pajamas. As she laid her head down she didn't notice the strange mist.  
  


------

  
  
Lydia was in the master bedroom, she was wondering why they - her and Clair - have to sleep in sleeping bags, she would peg miss priss would want to drag half her room with. But Lydia figures this place must be very important to the spoiled princess.  
  
She can't shake the feeling of depression and the intense anger, and this kind of scary; it was both that she was helping the very person that made most of her life a hell and this was the first time she _**ever**_ felt a spirit like this. While she may have seen many dangers in the Netherworld young Lydia felt as if Beetlejuice _was_ hiding something about the Netherworld from her, while the things she had encountered were strange and terrifying to a degree than whatever he was hiding must be **bad**.  
  
_Maybe I should get BJ's opinion on this,_ Lydia thought as she went back downstairs to grab something out of her bags, on the way back to her room she stopped for a moment in front of Clair's room. She debated whether or not to go in check in on the blond, she cracked the door a little and found the spoiled girl sitting up, she was sitting on the balls of her feet staring out the window. Lydia open the door a little more, she accidentally drew Clair's attention.  
  
"Need something?" Clair asked in a sharp tone, but the sparkle in her eyes said she meant to say 'hello'.  
  
"I was just checking on you, so far I haven't sense anything mean yet."  
  
"LAIR!" Clair suddenly snapped as she shot up to her full height, her fist were clinched and her eyes were slightly wide. Lydia was kind of scared of this young woman as she try to leave but found she was rooted to the floor, as spontaneous her outburst she became limp but somehow she manage to keep standing. "Please, I'm sorry; just don't lie to me about this," Clair said in a voice that sounded so lost and far away, "I know you can sense spirits too."  
  
"What?" Lydia step forward and wonder if she would have to catch her, "what do you mean by you can sense spirits?"  
  
Clair sat down on the balls of her feet, "I have never told _anyone_ this, but ever since I was young I have the ability to see these strange creatures."  
  
"Clair?" Lydia sat down next down to the blond.  
  
"It's not all butterflies and rainbows like you see Lydia," Clair said, "the things I have seen are horrific, they're angry at the living and sometimes will attack...."  
  
"Clair, I never knew."  
  
"And you won't if I didn't need you at this very moment," Clair curled up, "if I didn't realize that my talent was acting up again."  
  
There was a moment of silence, between the two teenage girls could feel a growing and intesifing evil in the air; Lydia reached over to grab Clair's hand. She wanted to leave _now_ but Clair shook her head, she looked up with pleading eyes.  
  
"Please, I have to tell you," Clair said in a hollow tone, "this stays between **us**. No matter what, is that understood?"  
  
Lydia shifted her weight, there was a glossily, clouded look within Clair's eyes. Than it finally hits her, what is going on.  
  
"Ever since I was little I have seen spirits, there were times when they were friendly or harmless but there _are_ times when I would run into these evil spirits."  
  
"One of them even try to strangle me, since than I tried to close off my talents; but you... You and your damn spirit friend kept digging at my power, trying to pull it out again while I fight like hell to place it back into the place."  
  
"Clair," Lydia was shaking, she was scared now and try to grab the blond by the shoulders but Clair's hands caught them.  
  
"I had a friend once too," Clair looked down at the floor, "he understood that I can't handle this lifestyle anymore."  
  
"Clair, listen to me."  
  
"I'm going to tell a small story, back in the era of samurai a maid named Okiku that worked for a samurai named Tessan Aoyama; that samurai wanted the maid to be a mistress but the maid refused."  
  
Lydia froze as Clair looked up and bore right into her eyes.  
  
"As punishment the samurai broke one of a ten plate set that was a family treasure than blamed Okiku, she was killed than thrown into a well. Well her ghost would come out of well at night and count the remaining plates until she reaches nine and scream."  
  
"Please," Lydia shivered.  
  
"In the end Aoyama killed himself, but his bloodline lives on," Clair smiled so wickedly. "I wanted to do this when she was young, you understand; it's the only way I can ever find true peace."  
  
"O-Okiku, isn't it?" Lydia said she felt her hands slowly go numb, "you can find peace, you got your revenge on Aoyama; Clair didn't have anything to do with this."  
  
"Ah, how can you say such a thing when she treated you like crap. Like Aoyama's wife and I, my dear you're the perfect instrument for my revenge."  
  
Lydia felt her body go numb as the spirit Okiku slip into her body, within moments Clair fell to the floor limp as Lydia stood up.  
  
_I... Must... Get away,_ she thought while rushing out, leaving behind a unconscious Clair.  
  
"... Lydia?" Clair spoke weakly, "don't go." 

()()()()()()()()

When I started this I set out to make it a one shot but this screamed "cliffhanger!" And I listen.

Also I choose a LydiaXClair pairing because of two things.

1). I like to do different couples from the mainstream (there's a lot of BJXL stories here, not there's nothing wrong with that n./n).

2). I like LydiaXClair (Lyair) pairings.


	2. Chapter 2

Lydia burst out of the house at top speed, while the air was warm her body was so very cold. There was only one thing she can do with this being trying to posses her, leap off the nearest steep cliff. Her mind was blurring as she ran through the forest. She hope everyone would forgive her.

------

Clair was so weaken she could barely lift up her torso, but she has too. She also could feel her spiritual senses opening up after so many years of trying to seal away, it took years to hide from it and it took a moment with a evil spirit to uncover it again.

She stood up and fell, she needs to save Lydia but her body was too weak to move on it's own. She needs help, help she hadn't talk to in ages. "Please help me," Clair said as tears rolled out of her eyes.

Two figures appeared.

------

Lydia fell down and shivered, a slight aura radiated from her as she focused the last amount of her energy of fighting the spirit within her. But in moments that aura died down and her body moved again, something very strange happen as Okiku walked towards the house. Everywhere within the forest a strange light appeared, one would say they were nothing more than fireflies but there was something about each light as it danced through the air and the way it gave off light. The house had no lights on, which would make it a little easier for the spirit; also taking as much energy out of the spoiled girl too helps. Okiku approached a special area on the outside of the house, it was where the founder of the house left behind a special gift for his children and their children.

A katana.

She smiled as she lifted up the deadly steel up and handle the hilt, she slowly unsheathed it and reveal the bright edge. A dark grin appeared as she went inside. The house was dark and empty, there wasn't a single sound in the air. She walked up the stairs to where she had left Clair, and found the blond out like a light against the wall. A chuckle escaped her throat as she walked over to where Clair was, Okiku wanted to perform the job _than_ saver the moment.

Raising the blade over her head and spread her feet than took in a deep breath, than something happened with Clair. A light aura appeared around Clair, than it took on a small orb of energy that shot up into Lydia's chest. Within seconds Okiku was stunned and taken off guard as a fox spirit dragged her out of Lydia, Lydia fell down onto Clair as the fox spirit fought with Okiku to keep her out and away from the goth girl. A second spirit appeared, one with a dusty naval coloredjacket that reveal nothing but darkness underneath it as it spread though the air and a cap that hid it's face. The fox let go and got out of the way as the second spirit came down with a phantom blade and split Okiku in half before sending the evil spirit directly to hell.

They both stood there looking over the two passed out girls, but nether could do anything since they're on the spectral plane but since Okiku has been sent to hell so the two were safe. Just drained of energy. There was nothing else but go back home.

------

It was early morning when they woke up, Clair and Lydia blush when they found themselves in the embarrassing position. Clair lean forward and gave a small kiss to the other girl, she stayed there as Lydia launch back onto her rear.

"What was that for?" Lydia asked shocked.

"For running out like that, to save my life," Clair said sweetly. Than she slapped Lydia hard.

"Wow," Lydia reached up to feel her check. "I guess for trying to save your life?"

"DAMN STRAIGHT!" Clair shouted, "you should have just let me die, you could have been killed! Why did you do something so stupid for yourself? Do you know how much you scared me?"

"Well if I scared you than you must..." Lydia smiled as she lean forward and press her lips against the blond's, they spend the rest of the day talking and resting after the horrid night.


End file.
